Get training
This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and road authorities publish. It is not a substitute for cycle training from a qualified instructor, for a qualified bike mechanic, or for medical advice.
The timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| August and September 2015 | The UCI began testing disc brakes in road racing | UCI (April 2016) |
| 2016 | The UCI authorised professional road teams to use disc brakes while it monitored their use | UCI (April 2016) |
| April 2016 | After Movistar rider Francisco Ventoso was injured at Paris-Roubaix, the UCI suspended the road trial with immediate effect. It did so at the request of the teams' association, the AIGCP, with the support of the riders' association, the CPA | UCI (April 2016) |
| 1 July 2018 | Disc brakes authorised in road and BMX racing from this date by a UCI Management Committee decision amending Article 1.3.025 | Cycling BC (4 July 2018) |
The UCI's own article on the 2016 suspension and Cycling BC's report of the 2018 decision are the sources for these dates. We did not find a UCI document describing what the trial found between 2016 and 2018.
The rule now: Article 1.3.025
As reproduced in the Japan Cycling Federation's copy of the UCI clarification guide (uploaded March 2026; edition date unconfirmed), Article 1.3.025 (text modified 1 July 2018) allows disc brakes in training and competition in:
- cyclo-cross;
- mountain bike;
- road races and time trials;
- BMX;
- trials.
The guide adds that disc rotors used in road disciplines must be chamfered for safety reasons. It also says covers over brake systems that are integrated with the frame or fork are allowed under Article 1.3.024, and must be submitted when the frame is put forward for approval.
What each discipline requires
| Discipline | Brake rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Road and cyclo-cross | An efficient braking system acting on both wheels, operated by two levers; a fixed gear is prohibited | Guide commentary on 1.3.009 |
| Track | No brakes at all, in competition or training, and no freewheel or multiple gears; the transmission is one chain, one chainring and one sprocket, all circular | 1.3.025 |
| Road and cyclo-cross levers | Inclined no more than 10 degrees; the inside ends at least 280 mm apart, a figure the UCI asked to be reviewed during 2026; combined brake and gear controls allowed | 1.3.022 (from 1 January 2026) |
The 280 mm figure was confirmed by the UCI Management Committee on 22 to 24 September 2025. The background, including an earlier 320 mm figure in an undated UCI statement, is on the 2026 changes page.
Outside racing
Wikipedia describes gravel bikes as nearly always fitted with disc brakes. Makers describe their own braking systems in their own terms: SRAM, for example, claims that its current RED AXS brakes need 80 percent less effort from the hoods and 33 percent less from the drops than the previous version. That is SRAM's claim, not an independent measurement.
In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's bicycle regulation, 16 CFR Part 1512, includes braking among the requirements a bicycle must meet when sold. Brakes also appear in recall notices: in November 2025 the CPSC announced recall 26-088 of Trek and Electra-branded bicycles with coaster brakes, and replacement rear wheels with coaster brakes (importer Trek Bicycle Corporation), because the coaster brake could fail to engage. The recalls page has the details.
Who looks after brakes
Setting up, adjusting and servicing brakes is work for a qualified bike mechanic. This site does not give brake procedures. The mechanics and bike fitting page explains the training schemes for mechanics and what the UCI says about modifying equipment. The groupsets that include brakes are described on the groupsets and drivetrains page.
Sources
- UCI, the UCI suspends disc brake testing (April 2016)
- Cycling BC, UCI approves disc brakes for road and BMX events (4 July 2018)
- UCI, Clarification Guide of the UCI Technical Regulation, Articles 1.3.001 to 1.3.034 (bilingual copy hosted by the Japan Cycling Federation, uploaded March 2026; edition date unverified)
- UCI, Management Committee measures to protect rider safety and health (22 to 24 September 2025)
- SRAM, RED AXS product page (maker claims, read 22 October 2026)
- Wikipedia, Gravel bicycle (secondary)
- US CPSC, bicycle requirements business guidance (16 CFR Part 1512)
- US CPSC, recall 26-088, Trek bicycles with coaster brakes (13 November 2025)